Totalizer for printing machines



April 14, 1931. LANG TOTALIZER FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 22, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Invemor. George H. Lan

ATTys.

April 14, 1931. LANG 1,800,544

TOTALIZER FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Nov. 22, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 InQenTor. George H. Long by Q, gel/vim- At'rys Patented Apr. 14, 1931 -UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE H. LANG, 013 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS TQTALIZEB FOR PRINTING MACHINES Application filed November 22, 1928. Serial No. 321,084.

This invention relates to a totalizer for printing machines of the type illustrated in my Patents No. 1,103,063, July 14, 1914 and No. 1,352,070, September 7, 1920. The devices shown in these patents have been specially designed for use in laundries for listing the articles composing any individual family wash.

Inthe operation of laundries it is, of course,

I essential that the articles coming from different families should be kept separate while they are being laundered and with this end in view it is customary for laundries to make a list of each article in any family wash as it is received. The machines illustrated in my above-mentioned patents are adapted for this purpose and eac comprises a plurality of numbering wheels or type wheels, one for each article of clothi each type wheel having an actuator by w ich it may be stepped forward intermittentl The actuators are labelled to correspon to the different articles on the list and in usin the device the ouping toafter counting the number of each article the corresponding actuator will be operated a number of times equal to the number of the articles, the re eated operations of the actuator thus steppln forward the corresponding printing wheel mto a position to print this number. This operation is carried out for each of the various articles in each family wash or in each bundle and when the type wheels have been set the machine is actuated to print on the laundry list the complete contents of the bundle or family wash.

It is frequently desirable to have the printed list contain not only the number of each individual kind of article in the laundr but also the total number of pieces in the was and an object of my present invention is to provide a printing machine of the type illustrated in said patents with a novel totalizer that as the actuators are operated to list the various articles the totalizer will be automaticall operated to give the total.

In or er to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a printing machine embodying my invention; 50

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the actuator device for the totalizer;

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary perspective views showing further details of the totallzer;

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the type wheels of the totalizer developed to illustrate the arrangement of the numerals thereon;

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 show theprinting members of the totalizing elements in diflerent positions;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of two adjacent members of the totalizing wheel showing the manner in which they co-operate;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the total printing member with a part broken out Fi 11 is a perspectiveview of the pawl mem er.

Inasmuch as the present invention relates so simply to the means for printing the total of all the articles listed I have not thought it necessary to illustrate the complete listing machine herein but have only shown a sufficient portion thereof to permit the present invention to be understood.

In the drawings 1 indicates a portion of the frame of a listing machine such as shown in my above-mentioned patents. The head 2 of v this machine carries a shaft 3 on which are mounted a plurality of type wheels 4 each bearing a plurality of type characters 5 in the form of numerals.

Each ty e wheel is actuated or adjusted to bring t e desired type character thereon into printing position by means of an actuator 6, such as shown in the above-mentioned patents. This actuator is in the form of a lever which is mounted for rocking movement on a rod 7 extending from one end to the other of the head and which is provided with a nose 8 which. co-operates with teeth 9 rigid with the corresponding type wheel 4. The end 10 of each actuator bears a label indicating some particular article of laundry, such for instance as sheets, pillow cases, handkerchiefs, shirts, stockingsjetc. i Upon reference to the above-mentioned patents it will be seen that in operating the machine the operator will depress each actuator a number of times equal to the number of the corresponding articles in the wash and by so doing will set the corresponding type.

wheel 4 so that it will print this number on the laundry slip.

As stated abovethe present invention has for its object to provide an addition to a printing machine of this type by which the total number of articles of all kinds will be indicated. This is accomplished by provida plurality or type characters 16 represent-' ing consecutive'numbers beginning with the number next followingthe said predeter-' mined number and running tov another predeterminednumber,the type wheel 13 having the type characters 17 representing consecutive numbers commencing with the number 'nextfollowingthe second predeterminednum-,

ber and extending to a third predetermined number, while the type wheel 14 has a series of type characters 18 representing numbers commencing with the number next following .the last-mentioned predetermined number.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the type characters 15 on the type wheel 11 run from 1 to 23, thetype characters 16 on the type wheel 12 run from 24 to 46, the type characters 17 on the type wheel 13 run from 47 to 69 while the type characters 18 on the type wheel 17 run from 70.

to 93; These type wheels for indicating I the total are also mounted en the shaft 3 at one end of the head. The type characters on each'type wheel do not extend throughout the complete periphery thereof, each type wheel having a blank space 19 thereon between-the type characters representing the lowest and highest numbers thereon. Normally the type wheels 11, 12, 13, 14 are all in a position-so that the blank spaces 19 are in printing position in which case the totalizing element would make no printed impression. 7

In operating the machine each time that any actuator 6 is operated to set any one of the printing wheels 4 the type wheel 11 will he stepped forward one step, the other type wheels 12, 13, 14 remaining stationary. When the type wheel 11 has been stepped forward a number of times corresponding to the highest number thereon, (which in thepresent embodiment is 23) then at the next operation of any actuator 6 the type wheel 11' will be carried into non-printing positionoand the type wheel 12 will be stepped forward one step to bring its number 24 into printing position. Upon successive operations of the actuator 6 the typewheel 12 only is operated and will continue so to be until it reaches the limit of its movement at which time upon the next operation of any actuator the type wheel 12 will be 7 brought into non-printing position and the type wheel 13 will be stepped "forward one step to bring its figure 47 into printing posltlon. Upon continued OPGIZLUOIIS' of any of'theactuators 6 the typewheel 13v will be stepped forward until itreaches the limit of its movement or :until its number 69? has been brought into printing position when.

upon the next operation of any of the actuators6 the type wheel 13 will be brought into non-printing position and the type wheel 14 will be stepped forward one step to bring its printing character 70 into printing posi tion and thereafter during .continued repeated operations of any of the actuators the type wheel 14 only will be operated, the other type wheels remaining atrest. With this construction the total of the number of pieces will always be printed entirely by one type character and only one of the group of type wheels will be in printing position at any one time.

Each type wheel of the group 11, 12,13 and 14 has rigid therewith a toothed disk, said disks being indicated at 20, 21, 22 and23 re spectively. Each diskis provided with teeth 24, therebeing as many teeth on eachdisk as there are type characters, on the corresponding type wheel. Co-operatingwith the toothed diskis a pawlmember'25 provided with a plurality of fingers 26 one for each of the disks. The disks are slightly smaller in diameter than the corresponding type wheels and the-fingers 26 are of a size andare prop-. erly spaced to enter between the type wheels and thereby engage thefteeth of the disks. that any of the actuators 6 is operated by means which will be presently described.

In order to providefor operating the type The pawl 25' is actuated each time wheels 11, 12, 13, 14 successively I form each 7 of the disks 2Q, 21, 22, 23. with two blank spaces 27, 57. When the type wheels 11, 12,

printing positions the blank space 27 in each disk 21, 22, 23 is opposite a finger 26 of the pawl 25 while one of the teeth of the disk 20 is situated to be engaged by the corresponding finger of the body as shown in Fig. 3. Hence at the first actuation of the pawl the finger co-operating with the disk 20 will advance said disk one step but the other fingers 26 will merely move in the blank spaces 27 and will not affect the disks 21, 22 and 23. When the disk 20 and its type wheel 11 has been carried around so as to bring the type character 23 into printing position the finger 26 of the pawl 25 will be engaging the last tooth of the disk 20 adjacent the blank space 57 thereon and on the next operation of the pawl 25 the disk 20 will be advanced to bring the blank space 57 beneath the pawl 25 and this movement will carry the type character 23 beyond the printing position and bring the blank space 19 on the type disk 11 into printing position. This last step of the type wheel 11 will advance the type wheel 12 and the disk 21 one step as shown in Fig. 4 thereby to carry the first tooth 24 of the disk 21 into position to be acted on by the pawl 25. Thereafter during repeated actuations of the pawl 25 the disk 21 and the type wheel 12 only will be advanced, the other disks 20, 22, 23 with their type wheels 11, 13 and 14 remaining idle because the corresponding figures 26 are operating in the blank spaces 27 and 57 of the toothed disks. This change of operation from one disk to the other is accomplished by means best illustrated in Fig. 9.

The type wheel 11 is provided with a groove 29 in which operates a projection 28 carried by the disk 21. The disk 20 is provided with a projection 30 which extends into the groove 29 and is adapted to engage the projection 28 at the time that the type wheel 11 has been brought into position to print the type charactor 23. At the next actuation of the type wheel 11 which carries the type character 23 beyond printing position and brings the blank space 19 into printing position, the projection 30 will engage the projection 28 and will advance the type disk 12 one step thereby to bring its type character 24 into printing position. At this time the disk 20 which is associated with the type disk 11 has been carried into a position so that the blank space 57 is brought under the pawl 25 and hence at subsequent repeated actuations of the pawl the type wheel 12 only will be advanced and during its advance movement the projection 28 will be carried away from the projection 30.

Similarly, when the type wheel 12 has completed its movement and arrives at a point where the type character 46 thereon is in printing position then on the next actuation of the pawl 25 said type wheel will be advanced one step into non-printing position and at the same time the type wheel 13 with its disk 22 will be brought forward one step so that thereafter the disk 22 will be the only disk which is operated by the pawl. A similar construction is employed for transferring the movement from the type wheel 13 to the type wheel 14.

In order to give the pawl 25 its operative movement each time that any actuator 6 is operated I have provided herein the following mechanism. Each actuator 6 has pivoted thereto an arm 31 having at its end a finger 32, said fingers extending through apertures 33 formed in a swinging bar 34 that extends across the head of the machine and is provided at its ends with trunnions 35 which are pivotally mounted in the head 2. Each finger is shaped to present a shoulder 36 which is adapted to engage the lower edge of the swinging bar 34 when the corresponding actuator 6 is operated and hence when any actuator 6 is moved to advance the corresponding type wheel 4 the bar 34 will also be swung about its trunnions 35. This bar has pivotally connected thereto one end of a link 37, the other end of the link being connected to a rocker member 38 to which the pawl 25 is pivoted. The rocker 38 is pivotally mounted on a rod 39 carried by the head. 40 indicates a return spring connected to the rocker 38 and which restores the pawl 25 and bar 34 to their normal position.

I claim:

1. A totalizing device for a listing machine which has a plurality of type wheels and a plurality of actuators, one for each type wheel, said totalizing device comprising a plurality of type wheels, each having type characters thereon for printing numbers different from those printed by any of the other type wheels of the totalizing device, and means whereby upon successive operations of an of the actuators first one and then another 0 the totalizing type wheels will be given a plurality of successive forward steps.

2. A totalizing device for a listing machine which has a plurality of type wheels and a plurality of actuators, one for each type wheel, said totalizing device comprising a plurality of type wheels, each having type characters thereon for printing numbers different from those printed by any of the other type wheels of the totalizing device, and means operated by any of the actuators to step type wheels of the totalizing device forward singly and successively.

3. A totalizing device for a listing machine which has a plurality of type wheels and a plurality of actuators, one for each type wheel, said totalizing device comprising a plurality of type wheels, each having type characters thereon for printing numbers different from those printed by any of the other type wheels of the totalizing device, and means whereby repeated actuator movements will step each totalizing type wheel forward insuccession a plurality of times. 7 r i 4. In a totalizing device for a listing machine which has a plurality of keys, thecombination with a plurality of totalizing type wheels, each of which totalizing type wheels has characters for printing consecutive numbers whichare difierent from those of any other totalizing type wheel, of'a swinging member adapted to be actuated by the operationv of any key, and means operated by the successive movements of the swinging member to advance first one and then another of the totalizing type wheels forward a plurality oftimes. i

5. In a totalizing device for a listing machine which has a plurality of keys, the combination with a plurality of totalizing type wheels, each of which totalizing type wheels has characters for printing consecutive numbers which are different from those of any other totalizing type wheel, the highest number which is printed by any type wheel being the next number belowithe lowest number which is printed by the next type wheel of the series, of a swinging member which is given a movement upon depression of any key, and means operated by the'successive movements of said swinging member to step first one type wheel and then another forward a plurality of times. t

6. In a totalizing device for a listing machine which has a plurality of keys,the combination with a plurality of totalizing type wheels, eachcf which totalizing type wheels has characters for printing consecutive numbers which are different from those of any other type wheel, of a swinging frameadapted to be given a movement by the operation of any key, an actuator which is given an operative movement for each movement of the swinging frame and means to establish an operative connection between said actuator and each type wheel in succession during a plurality of consecutive movements ofthe swinging frame. V

In testimony whereofl'l have signed my name tothis specification. p

GEORGE H; LANG.- 

